Hello lovely readers! So I had great intentions when I started writing this blog page. I wanted to offer my knowledge and support and maybe make a buck or two along the way. Granted, I have only been writing for a short time, but those of us with self-esteem issues and if your are just starting to create your blog page:
BEWARE!!!
Writing is a great outlet for me and I believe it can be for anyone. I used to write emails to my therapist; long drawn out details of my life and where I was at and what was going on. We had an agreement that he would not answer my email, but he would read them and we could discuss them at any appointment. Some people might find that cold of him, but I believe it was how he needed to set his boundaries and I have always respected that. Even in the latest hours of the night and darkest moments of my writing, I knew he would read my words, digest them and be prepared to talk about them. And that was enough for me.
Blogging is similar in the fact that I think someone is “out there” reading my words and taking something away from them. The problem is those damn analytical stats that are available to you 24/7. Do you know what I am talking about? No matter what platform you use for blogging (WordPress, which I use, Blogger, Reddit, etc), they all have a page where you can review your readership numbers. Which blogs have been read, how many people have visited your site, on and on. If you are a data person, it’s quite interesting. If you struggle with self-worth or positive self-esteem, this page can be a bit harrowing to look at.
Here is a look at a portion of my current analytics page:
Have you ever been on a diet and you start obsessing about the scale? You check the scale at least once a day, if not more. It can be depressing to watch the scale go up and you are sooooo happy when it goes down. And when it goes up you beat yourself up because of that last bowl of ice cream you ate or some yummy donut. It can be an emotional rollercoaster. For some of us at least.
I have noticed a similar feeling with watching the analytics page on my blog. I feel great when I see more readers and feel rather a failure when there is hardly anyone looking at the page. I decide that I want to give up and figure nobody wants to hear what I have to say. It is a vicious game being played in my brain. I know I just need to “STOP” and look at the reasons why I am really writing this blog and determine if it’s ok that my readership is small. Am I enjoying the process of writing, creating, finding photos to post and more? The answer is yes! I do enjoy this whole blogging process. It gives me a focus and gives me pleasure. I just have to throw away that damn “scale!”
So if you are new to blogging or have been around for while, try not to look at the analytics page. At least not so often. Those of us struggling with self esteem or mental illness need whatever help we can give ourselves to stay on track.
So WRITE, CREATE, ENJOY what you are doing. Ultimately, it’s for your own benefit and feel good about what you are doing. At least for this moment.
Jenny